Why Leaders Get Stuck (and how to get unstuck!)

It is very common for business leaders to talk to me about feeling stuck. I get comments about how they are working really hard, but feel like they aren’t getting to where they want to go. Or no matter what they try, revenues don’t budge. Or they feel like the same issues keep arising over and over.

There are lots of reasons that business owners can feel stuck. Here are two of the big ones. I see leaders get immersed in the weeds of their business – they are too busy working in their business that they don’t take the time to pull back and take a strategic view of what is happening. How does someone get unstuck from this? Go back to your business plan. Spend time reviewing your vision & mission. Make sure they are still relevant today. Look at the objectives. Are these measureable, and have you been tracking to them? Is your data captured and up to date? Are you capturing the right metrics for your business? Anything you could begin to monitor? Strategies are important to review. These will outline how you are going to build your business over time. What strategies can you put in place, or update based on today’s market factors to move the needle? And finally, have your action plans correctly reflected the work that needs to be done this year? Sometimes just the very activity of going back to the drawing board and taking a fresh look at your strategic plan or your business plan is a factor in getting unstuck.

Another reason that owners or leaders get stuck is because they don’t know what to do. This is a tough one – they got to where they are because generally, they did know what to do, and they aren’t used to being in the position of not knowing. Several business owners I know keep experiencing the same frustrations over and over because they won’t allow themselves to admit they might not have all of the answers. When we remain defiant and stubborn about having to be the one who knows all of the answers, we will not open ourselves to growth opportunities and often will remain stuck. However, if a business owner can look at their situation honestly, admit they aren’t sure of the next steps and use that as a learning opportunity, the ensuing growth will get them unstuck! Once they open themselves up to learning, they can work with a peer group, a mastermind group or an individual coach. It’s at that point that big strides can be made!

If either of these scenarios sound familiar to you, maybe it is time to bring in an objective set of eyes. I would be happy to hear your thoughts, and help you focus and thrive in your business.